ROMable High Level Languages

[Thomas Merkel]

In article <500 at madnix.UUCP> rat at madnix.UUCP (David Douthitt) writes:
>In article <8902152259.AA04690 at wpi> GREYELF at WPI.BITNET writes:
>| | I made a 65c02 handheld computer about 1 year ago, with a seiko 4x20lcd
>| | screen.
>   .... [stuff deleted]
>| | Since the code must be ROMable...uses ROM for program, I was wondering if
>| | anyone knows of any higher level language that is compact......
>| | Scott Hutinger
>|
>| Scott, why not use a normal assembler and the macro routines of
>| any standard assembler.
>
>If you want to use a higher level ROMable language, I would recommend either
>Forth or C.  Both have many versions which are good and offer ROMable code.
>======== David Douthitt :::: Madison, WI :::: The Stainless Steel Rat ========

A few years ago I used a C compiler that generated ROMable code for
a 6809.  I was able to squeeze fairly complicated code ( photocopier
mechanism control ) into a 2764 and 1K RAM with room to spare.  The
compiler was from a company named Introl,  I think they were in Madison,
Wisconsin.  I don't know if they did a 6502 version,  but the 6809
version worked well.  It came with a lot of source code for the runtime
support, so you could scrounge for what you needed.  It was real good
with interrupts.

I also experimented with FORTH for the 6502.  The version I had was from
Rockwell, used with the AIM-65.  It wasn't perfect, but it let you get
at the hardware, was compact and efficient,  and could be squeezed into
ROMs.  The manuals claimed there was a way to pick just what you needed
and put it into a ROM for standalone use, but I never tried it.  From
what I could see FORTH had a lot of potential,  but I couldn't sell
anyone else on it.

Hope this helps.

Tom


-- 
          Tom Merkel		|	merkel at shuxd.att.com
   Hard work never hurt anyone, |	att!shuxd!merkel
   but why take chances.    	|	merkel%shuxd at att.arpa